Last year Sarah Klein, junior Communications and Entrepreneurship major, planned a Grove City Shark Tank for students to pitch business ideas to improve Grove City College. Sarah says, “The goal of the event is to garner student ideas and input on how to improve campus life because there’s no one more qualified to know student needs than students themselves.” Last year 30 teams and individuals entered Shark Tank. Ten of those teams moved on to the final round in front of the judges, students and faculty.
Grove City Shark Tank is based off of the television show Shark Tank which gives startup companies an opportunity to receive venture capitalist funding from big name successful businessmen, such as Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, Daymond John and others, in exchange for equity in their company. In Grove City’s version of Shark Tank the students are competing for funding for their idea for campus improvement of $1,000 and personal cash prizes for the top three ideas. These cash prizes are $300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third with an additional $50 bonus for whichever team is the crowd favorite.
The winning idea, a campus improvement or event with $1,000, is put into effect! Last year the winning pitch was to purchase Spikeball sets to start an intramural league on campus, kicking it off with a large scale tournament last fall semester.
This year’s Shark Tank is on March 11. Grove City Shark Tank is taking the Grove by storm… or is it by sea? Anyways, the event is worth competing in and definitely worth attending. Grove City Shark Tank is growing this year by a considerable amount and more ideas are continuing to be entered. It benefits the college and the student body as a well, what’s not to love?
This is just one of the many events on campus that the student body has started and loves.
According to the Institute of International Education, over 300,000 American college students study abroad every year. Of those 300,000, only a small percentage are engineering majors. Of those few engineers lucky enough to study abroad, most will not graduate in four years due to scheduling complications. However, at Grove City College, engineers can (and are encouraged to) study abroad—and still graduate on time!
For engineering students with an appetite for adventure, the value of an immersive experience in a new culture or language is clear. What often seems somewhat fuzzy at the start of the process, however, is the actual day-to-day life of a student abroad. What are classes like? How’s the food? Who will be hosting? How frequent are the opportunities to travel? A couple years ago I was asking these same questions. But now, as a mechanical engineering student who got to call Nantes, France, “home” for a semester back in the fall of my junior year, I can offer some insight into Grove City’s truly unique engineering study abroad program.
1. Where can I study abroad?
The engineering study abroad program is located at Grove City’s European Study Center (ESC) in Nantes, France. Nantes is a beautiful city about two hours from Paris by train. It has everything you could want in a French city—sidewalk cafés, creperies, cathedrals and its very own castle. This European gem is located in the Loire Valley, which is known for its historic castles and picturesque landscapes.
Map of Nantes, France
2. What classes will I take?
All of the students are required to take French 101 and a field trip/cultural class called Engineering Management—more on those classes later. Mechanical engineers study abroad during the fall semester of their junior year. They take Fluid Dynamics, Mechanics of Materials and an Instrumentation Laboratory. Electrical engineers study abroad during the fall semester of their senior year. They take Control Theory and conduct the first part of their senior project.
All of the engineering classes are video-cast from Grove City, which means you’ll take the same classes as your classmates back home with professors who simultaneously teach students in Pennsylvania and Nantes (but no 8 AMs for you, thanks to the time difference… another perk of life abroad). This allows you to stay on track with required courses so that upon returning to Grove City for the spring semester, you won’t fall behind and will be able to jump into the next round of classes with your peers.
Hanging out at the Château des ducs de Bretagne (the castle in Nantes)
3. Do I have to know French?
No! This was something I was really worried about heading into the program. I took Spanish during high school and literally couldn’t even tell you what baguette meant. But no need to fear—you’ll take French 101 while you’re there and learn the basics. Between the ‘survival French’ and the friendly native speakers who wanted to practice their English, I was fine! If you do happen to know French before you go, you can test out of French 101 and take a higher level course to pursue greater fluency.
Using my French knowledge to translate café menus
4. How much does it cost?
This is the best part of the whole program! It costs the normal tuition plus $300 (which is less than what I’ve paid for books some semesters). This price includes airfare, housing, food, classes, some field trip programs and more for the entire four months you’re there. At that price, why not go?
You will need some money for souvenirs and your own independent travel. If you decide to take advantage of the many opportunities to tour Europe on weekends and breaks, expect to spend somewhere between $1,000-2,000 for extra expenses.
I used some of that spending money to buy legit gelato in Italy
5. Where and when can I travel?
Nantes’s location in Europe couldn’t be better, as you can easily navigate to most of Europe’s major cities. For the first six weeks, you’ll take the field trip portion of Engineering Management, which involves a variety of excursions to cities around Nantes that are all completely covered in the total cost. You would only be responsible for souvenirs and that occasional Nutella crêpe. We got to travel to Paris, Normandy, La Baule (a famous French beach), Fougères and other French towns around the Loire Valley. While in Paris with the help of student passes, we got to visit the Arc de Triomphe as well as the Louvre, where our Civilization & Arts humanity course came to life. In general, these excursions were a great way to learn more about French history and culture.
During your Fall Break and Thanksgiving Break, you’ll get five days and 10 days, respectively, to travel around Europe, and you can take long weekend trips too. For example, I was able to go to Dublin and London during Fall Break and travel around Italy (Rome, Pompeii, Florence, Cinque Terre, Venice) during Thanksgiving. It’s really cheap and easy to travel around Europe, and after getting the hang of it, you’ll become a pro at planning trips and booking those plane tickets!
Our weekend field trip to ParisMy Thanksgiving break trip to Florence, Italy
6. Where will I live?
Grove City rents three townhouses just outside the center of Nantes where you’ll live, eat and take most of your classes. Guys live in one house and girls live in the other. The wonderful program directors, Mark and Deb Reuber, live in townhouse number three.
The neighborhood where the ESC is located
7. What about food?
Part of the program’s cost goes toward food, so you certainly won’t go hungry. You’ll be responsible for making your own breakfast and lunch, but there’s always plenty of food in the house. For dinner, student meal teams take turns cooking dinner for all of the students. It’s a lot of fun trying to recreate some of your favorite recipes using French food, and an added challenge trying to cook for upwards of 25 people!
A kitchen in one of the townhouses
Weekly Shopping TripMark and Deb Reuber
8. Who will be in charge?
Mark and Deb Reuber are the program directors. They have been involved in this program for over a decade, from the very start. Mark facilitates the labs and Engineering Management course, while Deb teaches French. They know all about Europe and are great resources for students staying. They also help address any issues that may arise throughout the semester. For example, I dropped my laptop while I was there, splitting it wide open. But Mark came to the rescue and helped me ship it back to Grove City and got me a loaner computer. If I was in Europe on my own, I honestly don’t know what I would have done.
9. How much will I interact with French people?
The second part of the Engineering Course is a class with students from a local French university, with whom you’ll learn about French culture and international business. After classes you’ll get to dine and unwind with the local students, which always makes for a fun and memorable time. They’ll get to practice their English, and you’ll get to practice your French (if you’re feeling brave, that is).
Every Sunday, you’ll attend a French church where you’ll get to meet some truly lovely French people. Back when I went, some of the students studying abroad made some unique connections by getting involved in the worship team. Opportunities abound to make meaningful connections if you keep an open mind. Who knows what French friends and adventures await?
Hopefully this answered some questions you may have had and gave you some insight into a typical student’s day-to-day life at the ESC. For more information on the engineering study abroad program, click here. For another engineer’s perspective on studying abroad, check out this post.
There is something happening in the art department at Grove City College.
Five years ago, Grove City’s offering for graphic design courses was limited.
But, not so today! Thanks to Nate Mucha, the go-to professor for everything design these days, a whole handful of design classes are offered at Grove City College. You can take a look inside one of the design classes of Nate Mucha called “VCD II” (Visual Communication & Design II) in the video shown below.
VCD II is the highest level design class at Grove City, and Grace Leuenberger—one of the design students—lets us tag along as she crafts her first design project of the semester in the art studio and sheds some light on what the design classes mean at Grove City College. Watch the video below to hear from Grace.
Intramural (IM) sports hold a special place on Grove City College’s campus. The overall athletic student body is very passionate about sports and staying active, and a lot of students participate in one or more of the 35 IM sports offered.
If you’re not familiar with this extracurricular activity, IM sports are recreational teams comprised of groups of students that compete against other groups of students within the same school in various sports.
At Grove City, we take this athletic endeavor seriously. Being the active community that we are, and having been the number two ranked IM program in the nation in 2013, Grove City offers a plethora of sports for students to play. From basketball, soccer and volleyball to tennis, badminton and softball, the options are seemingly endless. Within most of these sports, there are men’s, women’s and co-ed leagues, as well as divisions based on skill level, so students are sure to find a league that fits their interests and abilities.
Participation in IM sports is free and joining a team is very simple. Flyers around campus advertise different leagues, so all an interested student has to do is find some friends to join their team, email the manager designated on the flyer to sign up, look out for emails from that manager specifying the dates and times of games and show up to play.
Typically, two or three games are played each week during the evenings in the IM rooms. Each sport usually lasts a few weeks and ends with a championship. Winning teams receive custom made t-shirts which creates an incentive for winning.
Perhaps the best aspect of IM sports is the friendly, low commitment competition it provides. They offer a recreational break from studying and a chance to compete for fun. They are also a great way to get involved on campus and meet new people.
Junior Justin Scott who has been involved in an assortment of IM sports including football, volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee and soccer sees them as “an easy way to burn off some calories and hang out with friends.” Justin first joined his freshman hall’s football team and has faithfully participated on many teams since.
For senior Alyssa Brossman, IM sports allow her to continue pursuing her favorite sport, tennis, without the commitment of playing at a varsity level. Since freshman year she has enjoyed the perks of IM sports through various tennis, basketball, soccer and badminton teams. “IM sports keep you active, enable you to be on a team with your friends and give you much needed study breaks,” she reflects.
IM sports are a way to not only be active and get some exercise, but also a chance to create fellowship among friends. Grove City is not short on sports to choose from, so if you’re looking for friendly competition and a way to relieve some stress, IM sports here are the way to go.
Hayley Klinger is a senior Business Management major at Grove City College.
Over the summer of 2015, Hayley had the privilege of interning with one of America’s largest global information technology companies in the nation, Hewlett Packard at their Little Rock, Arkansas headquarters. She tells of her road to landing the internship, the influence the Grove City College Career Services Office had on the entire process and her experiences during the internship.
She also sheds light on moving forward from her collegiate level education into the work force. Watch the video below to hear directly from Hayley.
This is the second part of a series highlighting some of my favorite neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is only 45 minutes away from Grove City, making it a great destination for a day trip. Be sure to check out the first post of this series which highlights Shadyside and Squirrel Hill on the east side of Pittsburgh. This post includes the Strip District and Market Square, two eclectic neighborhoods full of unique events and authentic restaurants.
STRIP DISTRICT
Pittsburgh’s Strip District, which runs along the Allegheny River, was once the home of many mills and factories due to its convenient location for transportation of goods and materials. The thriving industry in the Strip District during the 19th century made it a mixing pot for immigrants from all over Europe and Asia. As wholesalers began to leave the area in the mid to late 20th century, immigrants revitalized the abandoned warehouses, turning them into ethnic restaurants, specialty markets and art studios. Today, the Strip District is a bustling, outdoor historic market place. With crowded streets full of food vendors offering authentic cuisine from all over the world – from fish markets to homemade potato pancakes to fresh mozzarella – as well as native Pittsburgher’s speaking “Pittsburghese”, the Strip District is a great location for students looking to expand their surroundings and indulge in delicious food. While you’re there be sure to check out Pamela’s Diner, where the Obama family sampled some world famous pancakes. If the line is too long, you can try the pancakes topped with ice cream at Pamela’s rival, Deluca’s.
Street vendors lining the busy street in the Strip District.
MARKET SQUARE
Market Square is the hub of activity in downtown Pittsburgh, featuring an eclectic mix of old restaurants and new shops. The best part of Market Square, however, are the numerous events that occur year round. During the summer and fall months, Market Square hosts one of the best farmers markets in Western Pennsylvania, full of fresh fruit from local farms and Amish goods from just down the road. Market Square kicks off the Christmas season with Pittsburgh’s annual light-up night, illuminating downtown Pittsburgh with Christmas lights. The Christmas festivities continue in Market Square with a Holiday Market, which is inspired by German Christkindlmarkts, bringing a bit of European tradition to downtown Pittsburgh. Additionally, throughout the winter, Market Square sets up an ice skating rink, where many Grove City students can be seen attempting to maintain their balance on narrow blades. For those with Irish blood in them, Market Square boasts one of the best St. Patty’s Day parades. In addition to the celebratory seasonal events, Market Square is also the location of numerous food trucks, concerts and outdoor movie screenings. And while you are there, be sure to try Pittsburgh’s famous delicacies – a sandwich topped with French fries – at the Primanti Brothers.
Market Square’s ice skating rink on light-up night.
Note: All images from this post were taken from Google images.
When I embarked on my college search, I was only looking at schools in an urban setting. Although I had grown up in a small town, I have always considered myself a city girl. However, as I started visiting colleges, I realized that attending school in a city was not what I was looking for. I did not want to deal with the daily hassle of crowded streets and constant commotion. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunities that a large metropolitan area can offer, while being able to enjoy the charm and peaceful environment of a small town. Grove City, located less than an hour north of Pittsburgh, was the perfect fit. Pittsburgh is home to 90 unique neighborhoods, and I have highlighted two of the most popular below. In part two of this post, I will highlight two of my other favorite neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, highlighting Shadyside and Squirrel Hill.
SHADYSIDE
With tree lined streets that are filled with charming boutiques, upscale stores and small bakeries, Shadyside gives the east end of Pittsburgh a unique, village-like feel. For students who enjoy sipping locally brewed coffee and savoring homemade pastries while looking through high-end national retailers, Shadyside’s Walnut Street is the ideal day trip destination. Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside is famous for its surplus of consignment shops and vintage stores surrounded by nationally recognized local restaurants. Walnut Street and Ellsworth Avenue are within walking distance, separated by a few streets of beautifully restored, stately Victorian mansions. And while you are in Shadyside, you can visit the only street in the country that is paved with wood, Roslyn Street.
Shadyside’s Walnut Street.
SQUIRREL HILL
Also located in Pittsburgh’s east end district is Squirrel Hill. Squirrel Hill is famous for the business area along Forbes Avenue and Murray Avenue, which is affectionately referred to as “upstreet” by the local residents. Upstreet contains many local business which are more affordable than the shops in Shadyside, but they are equally unique. Squirrel Hill is bordered by the flourishing expanses of Pittsburgh’s famous Frick Park and Shenley Park, offering Grove City students the opportunity to admire the flora inside Phipp’s Conservatory, play a round of Frisbee golf or simply wander along miles of hiking trails after a morning of shopping in the business district. And during the many months of winter in Western Pennsylvania, Shenley Park offers ice skating, making the cold weather a bit more tolerable.
A view of Downtown Pittsburgh atop a hill in Schenley Park.
Be sure to check out part two of this post to learn about Market Square and the Strip District.
Note: All images from this post were taken from Google images.
While Grove City College has a wide array of majors and fields of study, one that particularly stands out and offers students some interesting and unique opportunities, is the area of Entrepreneurship.
VentureLab, which is a program offered to the entire campus community through Grove City’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, allows students to explore business ideas with funding raised by the college for this purpose. Students submit their ideas to Center, and, if chosen, enter the VentureLab program which gives them the opportunity to test the viability of their ideas and receive mentorship and guidance from professors, alumni and local business professionals. Students remain in the program for the better part of the academic year.
Last year, entrepreneurship majors Ashley Henderson and Haley Nerlich, who developed an idea called LunchTime, were the only social enterprise team accepted to the VentureLab program. LunchTime proposed taking advantage of a federally funded program that provides money for lunches during the summer to needy children. They found that while the funding existed for kids in Venango County, the delivery system did not. LunchTime created a delivery system in rural communities that would bring lunches to children that may not otherwise get food. The idea came from Haley’s summer experience in volunteering at her mom’s nonprofit company, with whom they later ended up partnering. Haley took this idea and joined forces with Ashley to successfully implement their plan into a real life, feasible business.
Through the funding of the VentureLab, they were able to set up twenty six locations including churches, playgrounds, and schools where a large number of children needing this type of program lived. Determining the optimal locations took a lot of hard work and dedication. They sent out over seven thousand forms to parents asking for addresses so they could create map out ideal serving locations to reach the maximum number of children.
As the end of the school year neared, Haley took over the project as Ashley went on to complete an internship at Two Men and a Truck. Haley, with additional support of her mom, was able to set up the 26 needed sites that were serviced by 33 employees and 15 volunteers. Fifty-five days later, LunchTime surpassed Haley’s original goal and distributed over 20,000 meals.
Although the hard work is credited to Ashley, Haley, and the members of the LunchTime staff, the opportunity afforded by the VentureLab and Entrepreneurship program at Grove City College helped to lay the groundwork.
“The Entrepreneurship Department sets you up to do the things they are teaching you in a safe environment,” reflects Ashley.
Through these different programs, students are able to take the lessons they are learning in class and put them to the test in a real world scenario that can lead to a successful business. Because this lab is done in a safe environment, students minimize some of the risks that a lot of business startups face. “The program itself is created so you can do these things we talk about every day in class and not have to be worried about losing investors or equity,” says Ashley.
For Ashley and Haley, the VentureLab allowed them to not only launch their own business, but also to help a community in need.
Playing college golf has always been a dream of mine. Accepting the position offered on the Grove City College men’s golf team as a senior in high school was a big decision. I was blessed to be a part of such a positive team in high school and knew I wanted something similar in college. As a Christian, I’ve always wanted a team that was centered on the gospel, which was one of the few aspects that was lacking on my high school team.
At Grove City College, I joined a team that was focused on building a brotherhood for the betterment of the individuals. Realizing that everyone falls short of God’s expectations changed the way I viewed golf. I felt comfortable and willing to open up to my teammates knowing that I wouldn’t be judged, but rather encouraged. Due to the positive reinforcement of my coaches and teammates, I’ve found more success in my golf game than I ever had before.
Coming off a hot summer of good golf, I had high expectations for myself entering the collegiate level. Unfortunately, I didn’t start the season the way I wanted to. Adequately managing my time between schoolwork, golf, social life, and my relationship with God, was a challenge. Even though I played my best golf over that summer, I didn’t play to my full potential for most of the fall season. As the season was winding down, we had one last tournament remaining. As frustrated as I was, since things didn’t go my way, this final tournament was a true test of everything I’ve worked hard for. Since the routine I was going through didn’t work for the majority of the season, I decided to change things up a bit. By completely relying on God and clearing my mind, I ended up shooting my low round of the year and won the biggest in-season tournament by a single shot.
If I could give any advice to upcoming freshman who are planning on partaking in a sport, it would be to focus mainly on your relationship with God. Try not to worry and stress about the things of the world, but rather give up all you have in order to let God take control. Reflecting upon my experiences at Grove City College, especially with the golf team, I’ve certainly been blessed in ways that I couldn’t have imagined, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Even before I became a student at Grove City College, I heard this line from one of the college’s most beloved professors: Dr. Powell. He had this crazy notion that if I cast a vision for something I want to do, whether large or small, at this school I could do it. His faith in Grove City College’s potential to bring to life even my biggest ideas intrigued me, but as a prospective student I had no clue how true it would prove to be.
It Started Out as a Bit of a Joke
Flash forward to sophomore year, when I was a member of the Student Government Association (SGA). Early in the year, SGA held a meeting for the express purpose of brainstorming. Unfortunately, my small group had more of a light brain mist going on than a brainstorm, and I needed to find something we could rally around. I remembered a video I had seen on the internet a few weeks back, a ridiculous game called bubble soccer. We had nothing better, so we pitched that.
Standing there in front of the rest of the elected students, I almost sheepishly described the game. It is played like soccer, but with each player wearing a large, inflated bubble suit. This allows for hilarious contact and crashing without injury. I was excited to tell them about a sport that many had not heard of, but I admitted that it probably wasn’t feasible at a small school like ours. I mean, state schools weren’t even trying this yet. However, the presentation received unanimous support. I was floored – did they actually want to try to do this?
Attempting Something Big
Okay. We were going to do this. I formed a team, and we started to figure out how. Since this game had been invented in Europe, only certain areas in the U.S. had it available. We finally found a small company near Philadelphia named BumpBall that was willing to drive out to us. Next, we had to convince the administration. Many meetings and emails later, we had the green light. I was so excited. My idea was actually happening.
Opening up brackets to each freshman hall, we developed the tournament as an end-of-the-year capstone to the new students’ various intramural competitions throughout the year. The buzz began to grow. We had 21 halls and nearly a hundred people on board. Once students saw our posters, they began to get excited.
Let the Games Begin
4 p.m. May 1st arrived, and the freshmen and their fans lined the slope at the edge of the intramural fields. I started the games and watched as fantastic bouts of adrenaline and laughter ensued. Standing there with a megaphone, I thought back to the beginning of the year. How did I get here? It was then that I realized the truth in what Dr. Powell had said. If you set your mind to it, you can make your dreams a reality at Grove City College. You can get there from here.
